


bad puns and moonlit kisses

by queerly_yours



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Aromantic!Malia, Bad Puns, Discussions of sexuality, F/F, Getting Together, asexual!Derek, grey-aromantic!kira, set the first year of college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4839797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerly_yours/pseuds/queerly_yours
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I just-are you sure? It’s not going to bother you? I know how you are with sex and stuff.”</p>
<p>Having never corrected Kira’s assumption, Malia rolls her closed eyes. “Of course not, idiot. Get in bed. I cuddle. Fair warning.”</p>
<p>Kira complies and wakes up with a mouth full of wavy brown hair and a very octopus like coyote girl attached to her. She wasn’t concerned about sleeping arrangements from then on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	bad puns and moonlit kisses

**Author's Note:**

> this is way old, but i just noticed that i hadn't posted it here and it's not terrible, so here ya go.

It has been 2 years since Malia rejoined the human world.Being a coyote was…well, it was freeing. But at first she was terrified. They were on their way to the store to pick up some medicine for her. She was running a fever that wouldn’t stop. It was the same feeling that first full moon as a human, like an out of body experience, her limbs on fire and the sensation of being ripped apart from the inside out. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. Then she was a coyote, and her mother and sister were dead. It happened so fast. In the blink of an eye, her entire life changed. Not only the skin that she wore, but the way that she lived, the person she was. She never lost her self of self though. She knew, even as a creature of the woods, that she was Malia Tate. But while young girls were going to class, making friends, and having boyfriends, she was roaming the woods and surviving. And did she ever survive.

Scott showing up and forcing her to turn back was a shock to the system, and not a welcome one. She didn’t even know what it was like to be human, and really didn’t know if she wanted to be one anymore. Eight long years as a coyote and she’d grown used to it. She had her den, knew how to hunt, and wasn’t as lonely as she once was. It took her some time to come to terms with everything, her life, her biological father, the deaths of her mother and sister. Her father didn’t change a single thing in the house. Her sister’s bedroom with dancing water nymphs and hordes of pink in every possible type of fabric looked untouched. And the smell. Oh god, it smelled just like her. Layered under the years of disuse and abandon, she smelled that sweet strawberry shampoo she loved and her favorite scented markers. Once she tried to eat a marker when she was 4 and Malia was 6. Her tongue was the color of ripe blueberries for an entire week.

That is why she had to move out. She missed them. Every day. And the scent remaining in the house was overwhelming. Too much to remember. Too much guilt. She knows in her head that she’s not to blame for the accident, but her heart will always hold some of the weight. She was there with them when the accident happened and had said such cruel things to them just minutes before.

So the day the graduated high school with her pack, she moved out. Her dad had some money saved to help her get a small studio apartment, but not enough to live on. She took a part time job at a local coffee shop that paid well enough to help afford food, electricity, and a little bit of fun while she continued her education at the nearby community college.

Not all the pack stuck around. Lydia was accepted into MIT and left town as quick as she was able. Who could blame her though? Hearing the sounds of soon approaching death must be exhausting and lead to terrible night terrors. It was the Nemeton that amplified her Banshee powers, so she went as far away as possible while remaining in the states. Danny left too, which shocked absolutely no one. He was too smart for this town and the creatures in it.

Everyone else stayed for varying reasons, but the most common was to protect their town. If they all left to go to school (even if they could afford it), who would protect Beacon Hills? Derek and the Sheriff? That’s quite a burden on just two people, one of whom was human.

So they stayed and worked and protected the town. It was much the same as high school, but the beacon of the Nemeton had dimmed to a faint glimmer after the death of the Oni, bringing a creature feature much less often than it once had. Thank the gods for-

“Malia!”

She startles out of her reverie, claws extended, blue eyes blazing. One deep inhale and she snaps back to reality. “I’m right here, Kira.”

“Geez, I was looking for you for forever,” Kira complains, leaves crunching beneath her quick, short strides. Fall’s cool temperatures shorn the trees of their multicolored leaves, deserting them for winter. It was beautiful and peaceful in the woods. This was where Malia came to when she needed quiet for reflection or study. Today it is the latter, but she drifted off somewhere in the middle of the third and fourth circle of Hell. Dante’s Inferno this week was killing her. Or rather the couple upstairs who couldn’t keep it in their pants.  _What’s the big deal about sex?_  She wonders,  _and why, oh god why did they have to do it in the middle of the freaking day when her exam was less than 5 hours away?_

Shaking her head, she says, “What’s up? I was just studying for that Dante test.”

“What’s up is you weren’t answering your phone and your test is in half an hour.”

Malia shoots up, papers and highlighters falling everywhere on the forest floor. “What? Shit! What time-“ She finds her phone in the back pocket of her cutoffs. It’s dead. “Shit!” She exclaims again.

Kira grabs both arms and turns Malia around to face her. “It’s fine. I got to you in time. Let’s get your stuff, so we can go to class.”

They gather up Malia’s belongings with swift movements and trudge off to campus.

-

Malia gets an 88 on the test. When she shows Kira, she get an excited squeal and a high five. Malia’s responding grumble is, “It could have been an A if those rabbits weren’t always going at it upstairs.”

Kira smiles, tilts her head, and looks at Malia like she’s trying to piece together a puzzle. “You really don’t like sex, do you?”

“No,“ Malia says and Kira nods. “No, I mean. No, it’s not that I don’t like it. I mean-“

“It’s whatever, Mal. I don’t care either way. Really.” Kira pats Malia’s arm, and the subject is dropped, but it lingers in Malia’s mind long after that conversation.

-

Here’s the thing, Malia isn’t asexual, and by asexual she means a person who’s doesn’t experience sexual attraction at all. She’s not. She digs sex. With men or women. She’s not really preferential one over the other. What she doesn’t dig is all the gooey crap leading up to the act; the “I love you’s” and “where would I be without you” and the pet names. Blegh. The couple upstairs are like Scott and Allison level of romantic gestures and it grosses her out. So it’s not the actual act of sex that repulses her, it’s the romance crap. She doesn’t know what that means, but does it really matter? She’s happy with her friends and school and work. Who has time for all the romance anyway?

-

Malia and Kira grow closer as the school year goes on. They have a couple classes together, so they have study sessions and hang out quite often. Kira visits her at the coffee shop once or twice a week. She insists that Malia makes the very best vanilla soy latte. She also loves punishing Malia with horrible coffee puns. Today she says, “Hey, Mal!”

Malia glances up from the cash register to find Kira pirouetting in the middle of the shop. She’s dressed in her favorite ripped floral tights, black half-laced combat boots, and a black and white checkered backless dress, her back nearly covered by a black leather jacket. The dress flutters up with each spin. “Showing off your ballet skills?”

Kira stops and rolls her eyes. “Why are Italians good at making coffee?”

Malia groans and drops her head to the counter. “I don’t know, but I bet it’s a terrible reason.”

“Because they really know how to espresso themselves! Get it?”

Malia just grunts in acknowledgment and Kira grins hugely. “You totally thought that was cute.”

“Get out of my shop, Kir,” Malia states.

Pouting, Kira skips out the door to sit on the bench and wait for Malia to finish closing up.

They spend many nights like this. Kira hanging out with her at work. Walking each other home. Some of the time they spend the night at each other’s places. Kira lives with Allison in Derek’s building. It has the same feel as his place, but it’s on the smaller side with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchenette, and living room barely large enough for the couch and tv, but it works for them. The exposed brick and beautiful window that lets the morning light stream in are Malia’s favorite things about the apartment.

The first time Kira stayed over at Malia’s apartment, she insisted on sleeping on the couch. That lasted all of one hour.

“Kiraaaaa!” Malia whines. She can hear Kira freeze on the couch. “Kira, get your ass into this bed right now. The tossing and turning is going to drive me mad.”

Kira seems to contemplate for about five seconds before she complies, but when she gets in the bedroom she’s nervous.

“What?” Malia asks with her eyes closed.

“I just-are you sure? It’s not going to bother you? I know how you are with sex and stuff.”

Having never corrected Kira’s assumption, Malia rolls her closed eyes. “Of course not, idiot. Get in bed. I cuddle. Fair warning.”

Kira complies and wakes up with a mouth full of wavy brown hair and a very octopus like coyote girl attached to her. She wasn’t concerned about sleeping arrangements from then on.

-

The pack celebrates the end of their first year in college out by the old Hale house. They have a bonfire and booze, both wolfsbane laced and regular for the human members of the pack.

It’s a gorgeous night. The air is crisp and cool. The half-moon is huge and welcoming. They are having a great time, so of course she has to go ahead and ruin it.

She and Kira are sitting on an upturned tree a few yards from the fire. They are talking about summer, their plans and whatnot, when Kira giggles at something she says and leans over to kiss her.

Malia freezes. Kira reels back on instinct. “I’m so sorry, Malia. I didn’t think. I’m sorry.”

She flees and Malia is left stunned. How did she not see that coming?

Derek senses the confusion and pulls away from the dancing and sits down with her. “Are you okay?” he asks.

Malia shakes her head. “I don’t-what  _was_  that?”

Derek laughs. “Well, I wasn’t looking, but it sounded like she kissed you or tried at least, and then ran away because you didn’t want it.”

She stares at him like he’s speaking Greek.

“You haven’t noticed the way you two act? Like you’re a couple without the like kissing and all that?”

“I don’t guess I ever thought much about it. I enjoy hanging out with her. We’re…friends?” Malia makes a sour face at that. “Well, more than friends, but I don’t  _like her like her_  you know?” Derek nods. “Well, to be honest I don’t like anyone like that.”

“Stiles was right.”

Confusion colors Malia’s face. “You talked to Stiles about us?”

“Malia, I’m ace-I mean asexual, so I know a bit about sexuality and romantic orientation. And yeah, there’s a difference. You should do some research of your own. I have an idea about what you might identify as, but it’s not for me to decide. It’s for you to decide.”

Derek leans over, ruffles her hair, and returns to the party smiling.

-

It’s been three weeks since the party and Malia has had enough of this. She walks over to Allison and Kira’s apartment and rings the buzzer. Kira answers the door wearing simple black tights and a loose Avengers tank top looking like she was roused from sleep. Her eyes are huge when she sees who’s at the door.

“Hi,” Malia says.

Kira blushes and opens the door all the way to usher Malia in. “Um, hi, Malia.”

It’s awkward like she knew it would be. She needs to just come out with it.

“Look, Kira. I’m sorry about the other night at the party. You just-“

“No, I’m sorry, Malia. I should-“

“No. Really. I froze on you and you deserve an explanation.” Malia turns and takes a seat in her normal spot on the grey hand-me-down couch. She picked this spot because it’s closest to the window, and she loves watching the sun set through it. She motions at Kira to sit down with her.

“I know that you think you have an idea about what I am or whatever, but I don’t know if I even really knew until that night.” Kira fidgets with the hem of her tank top and nods without looking directly at Malia. “I’m not asexual.”

Kira looks up then, surprised. “You’re not?”

“No, I’m aromantic. Do you know what that it is?”

Kira looks as though the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders. She smiles. “Of course I do, Mal. I identify as grey-aromantic. Do you know what that means?”

Malia nods, “Yeah.”

Kira tilts her head, “But?”

Malia sputters, “But you-you kissed me and I- _what_?”

“Just because I’m on the aromantic spectrum doesn’t mean I don’t like kissing or sex, you dork.” Malia ducks her head and her eyebrows furrow. Kira reaches out to lift her chin up. She says softly, “I like sex and maybe one day I’d like to try it with you, if you’d like. But I like you platonically. Well, a bit more than platonically.” She takes Malia’s hand. “I like cuddling with you and holding your hand. I like you, but not romantically. Got it?”

Malia expels the breath she’s been holding since the night of the party. “Yeah, I get it. I feel the same about you.”

At that Kira giggles and wraps Malia in a hug. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too, Kir.”

“So, does this mean you wanna be my zucchini?” Kira half laughs.

“As long as you aren’t going to make some awful pun about it,” Malia teases.


End file.
